 |
Estonian presidential race off to an early start
- By Jukka Rislakki
- While Estonia is preparing for municipal elections, former Prime Minister Andres Tarand of the Möödukad (Moderate) Party has begun his presidential campaign, fully two years before the presidential elections. Tarand is a popular and fair man, known for his sense of tradition, and has been pinned as the man that Lennart Meri, the current president, would most like to see succeed him.
- Tarand leads in the polls, but anything can happen in two years, and a lot probably will. Tarand and his family are already stalked and minutely scrutinised. The morning after an evening down the pub, the press will let the people know Tarand had a pint or two.
- There is already a lot of speculation as to who will step into Meri's shoes, and not all bets are on Tarand. Parliament elects the president, not the people, and opinion polls play no part in determining who will land the top job, as was seen when Meri won out over the more "popular"Arnold Rüütel for his first term back in 1992. A two-thirds majority is needed when electing a new president, but if a stalemate continues after three rounds, the task shifts to a 500-strong electorate composed of municipal representatives alongside the members of parliament.
- Despite proposals to this effect, popular elections will not be held any time in the near future. Many politicians claim that the people are not yet ready for direct presidential elections. Primarily they fear that a directly-elected president would be too powerful, as he would have the support of the people. In Estonia the president does not have a lot of power, but is more like a figurehead. Nevertheless, a president such as Meri, who wants to use his influence and make a difference, can increase the jurisdiction of his office somewhat.
- Meri's term ends in the autumn of 2001 and it is impossible to say who will replace him, but Tarand is off to a head start, and so far the future looks bright. On another issue, Estonia has a long way to go to match Finland's women, as the leading female "prospective candidate" comes well down the lists with only 2-3% support.
Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 27.10.1999 |
|
